USCCA Firearms & Self-Defense Blog
Guns & Gear
Read no-holds-barred reviews of both personal- and home-defense firearms and stay up-to-date on the latest concealed carry gear offerings on the market. Discover everything you need to know to select the best, tried-and-true self-defense gear — from holsters, knives and ammunition to flashlights, first-aid kits and alternate weapons.
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UkoalaBag: A Creative Concealed Carry Option
I accidentally stumbled upon the UkoalaBag a few years ago, and it’s probably one of the best “accidents” ever. I have a fondness for Steampunk gear, and I happened to notice a post on Facebook about…
Continue Reading →S&W M&P .45 ACP Shield Review: Range Report
Back in July of 2016 (then updated again in 2021), I reviewed the Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P 9mm Shield pistol. Compact, reliable, easy to shoot, priced right and chambered for the 9mm…
Continue Reading →El Paso Sky Six Concealment Holster: Classic Construction, Versatile Design
Although you might be getting tired of me writing about it by now, the Bond Arms Bullpup 9 has given me an opportunity to work with holster designs that I don’t necessarily seek out for more commonly…
Continue Reading →Guns That Should Never Go Away
Some guns — such as this Taurus 650 — should never go away. It should always be available and everybody ought to have one in their collection. It’s just too practical and useful not to have. I’ll bet…
Continue Reading →The Failure-to-Fire Drill (Simulation Featuring BarrelBlok)
This week’s video is a little different than our normal Tactical Tuesday training segment. Instead of focusing on a specific set of skills, we look at a new dry-fire training tool, the BarrelBlok. We…
Continue Reading →Why I Love the Colt Defender
Every now and then I tire of plastic, single-stack nines and go for this aluminum alloy-framed Colt Defender. It’s 1911 thin — always has been — and weighs only 24 ounces unloaded. Loading it with…
Continue Reading →Is Your Barrel Blocked?
We here at the USCCA continue to promote dry-fire training and we always stress safety when training without ammo. It takes just a second for an unloaded gun to become a loaded gun and that’s when…
Continue Reading →The DeSantis Mini Scabbard: Minimal Size with Maximum Function
Ever since I’ve had the Bond Arms Bullpup 9 to work with, I have been searching for additional holsters for this outstanding concealed carry arm. Even though it fits in holsters designed for the…
Continue Reading →Good Holster Matches for the FMK 9C1 G2
New gun manufacturers — and new guns — are great, but sometimes it takes a while for holster manufacturers to catch up and offer something that fits. The FMK 9C1 G2 you see here has been around since…
Continue Reading →MultiHolsters Elite Quick Ship IWB Holster
A MultiHolsters Elite Quick Ship IWB holster retails for $59.95 and is ready-to-order from the company’s website for most of the major gun makes and models. In my world, the Multi gets the nod for…
Continue Reading →Long-Term Review: Fort Knox Original Pistol Box
It’s been in my service for years: a Fort Knox Original Pistol Box. In it resides a Smith & Wesson M&P Compact or other guns suited to home defense (more about house guns later). Today I’m going to…
Continue Reading →Bond Arms Bullpup 9: The World’s Most Powerful Compact/Micro 9mm Pistol
Back in 2013, I reviewed a new and rather unconventional pistol: the Boberg XR9. The Boberg XR9 was a compact, aluminum-framed 9mm semi-auto that featured a unique design in terms of its operational…
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